The Shadow's Consort
by SuperPsychoNutcase
Summary: Hermione strikes a deal with a demon and finds herself fulfilling an ancient prophecy. When discovery is a death sentence, Hermione finds herself questioning her relationships. Throw in a genocidal maniac, and it's hell on earth for Hermione Sylvia Granger-Black. (Trigger Warning: insinuates underage coitus. If you find this upsetting, DON'T READ!)
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

"This is definitely a trap."

Harry didn't bother to stop his swift pace, leading us through the atrium of the Ministry of Magic. "I saw him, Hermione! Sirius is in danger and he needs my help!"

Ron, of course, took the opportunity to belittle me. He pulled an excellent Malfoy impression sneering at me from over his shoulder. "Yeah, 'Mione! Sirius means too much to us to leave him in old Moldy Short's hands!"

I darted between Neville and Ron, rushed in front of Harry and spun to face the impromptu rescue squad. I assumed the pose of a most irate woman and scowled at Ron and Harry. "Sirius may not be my godfather, Ronald Bilius Weasley, but he is Harry's godfather and that is more than enough reason for me to stick out my neck to save him. Be that as it may, we don't even know for sure if he is even here! Sirius may despise being cooped up in his ancestral home, but he knows that staying hidden is in his best interest and will keep him from capture. Knowing that, why in the bloody hell would he be here, in the bowels of the Ministry of Magic, run by the very people who wish him imprisoned and Kissed by dementors?!"

Harry's face was twisted in furious terror and I almost felt sorry for stopping him. Almost. "But we flooed Grimmauld Place and Kreacher said…!"

"I know, Harry! I was there, too! But Kreacher, a house left alone in a dusty, grimm household with nothing but that vile painting for company, has made it clear several times just how little he thinks of Sirius! How do we know he wasn't lying about Sirius not being there?! Believe it or not, House Elves can lie, Harry, if they are not ordered to keep everything they see and hear secret! Sirius always…!"

Harry shook his head and tried to run around me. "We're wasting time, Hermione! We have to save him!"

I caught him around the waist and gently pushed him back. Harry looked shocked at my show of strength and I used his surprise to my advantage. My voice was calm and quiet. Some would say eerily so. "Harry, look around you. Tell me what you see."

Harry scanned the vast room quickly, eager to run to his godfather's rescue. "Nothing, Hermione! Can we please go now?"

"Exactly Harry." I nodded in confirmation and gestured to our group of six. "Nothing. No Aurors. No security. Not even a bored and tired greeter to check our wands. We are the only ones here. Don't you find that the least bit suspicious?"

The Boy Who Lived had finally engaged his logic and reason. He was calming down, thinking over all I had said, and would soon be open to accepting my plan of action. Things were finally looking up for once.

And then Ron went and ran his filterless mouth. "Who the bloody hell cares?! Sirius is down there being tortured! We don't have time to listen to you complain about Ministry workers that aren't nearly as studious and boring as you!"

Harry's reasoning was once again shut off in favor of his mindless impulsive side. "He's right! Let's go!"

I threw my hands up in the air, trying to stop them once again. "Can you please just listen to me! You can't just storm down there guns blazing and hope for the best! We need to strategize! We need a plan!"

Harry pushed past me. I was forced to run to keep up. "I have a plan: save Sirius and get out alive!"

 _*Oh! For the love of…!*_ "That's not a plan!"

Harry kept his eyes forward, his eyes glowing with determination. "It's always worked before."

"Barely!"

He, of course, ignored me. Sometimes I wonder why I'm still friends with Harry. He's impulsive, stubborn, far too trusting, and always takes Ron's side when the blasted Weasel decides to pick a fight with me. The only times Harry stood by me was when he was declared the fourth champion of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Ron had forsaken him as a friend, jealous of the attention Harry got and angry that he didn't share how he had got his name into the Goblet of Fire. Oh, Harry embraced my friendship then, but easily forgave Ron the second the git apologized. Both resumed their close friendship and Harry once again gifted Ron his total support.

Still, I couldn't regret what my friendship with Harry had led to all those years ago. So much power at my fingertips and a bond with a most dashing, loyal, _virile_ male. A male I have come to care for greatly and… dare I say… love… in a way.

Harry had slowed down upon reaching the entrance to the Department of Mysteries. Using the memories of his so called dreams, he led us to the entrance of the Hall of Prophecy. I knew once we walked through that door, there would be no turning back. I tried once more to enact my plan. "Harry, please! Let me go in first! I'll scope out the room, find every exit, and look for Sirius _if_ he's even there! If he is, I'll give a signal and we'll save him. If not, then we need to get out of here asap. At least this way, if anyone will be falling into a trap, it'll be me."

Harry's eyes widened in fear and he latched onto my biceps. "No! We do this together! I'm going to let you walk into a… possible trap without me!"

"Harry…" I shrugged off his hold and cupped his too pale face. He had shed his baby fat, not that he had much to begin with, and the sleek lines of his jaw and cheekbones foreshadowed the striking man he would grow into some day soon. "Harry, you are far too important to risk your life so foolishly. I'll be disillusioned and quiet as a mouse so anyone who might be in there won't even know I'm there.

"Now stay put and guard the door until I come back. And please… Please don't do anything stupid while I'm gone." I allowed my eyes to land on Luna's and gave her _that_ look. We had spent enough time together to know each other's _looks_ : shut up, change topics, they're getting too close to the truth', cover for me, distract them, and 'watch him'. I knew she couldn't do too much without revealing her… our… dirty little secret, but I hoped she could at least talk Harry into waiting for me. Her eyes flashed purple-pink and she twitched her nose in acknowledgement. She'll do her best.

I nodded once and set up a ward around the abnormally silent group. From their wane faces and wide eyes, I guessed that the situation was truly beginning to set in: our little rescue mission might end in someone's demise… and there no way of telling which side would lose a soldier tonight if things went south.

Giving Harry one last pleading look, I cracked open the ornate door and slipped inside. Once the door clicked shut, I relaxed substantially.

Finally, I could drop my facade.

With a wave of my hand, I split a tear into the weave of this dimension and slipped into Purgatory; the universe that encases our reality and acts as the barrier between our world and the Ether. Purgatory is where the lost spirits of the dead roamed in corporeal form. Like me, they could slip between the veil which gave the illusion that they could turn invisible whenever they wished.

What very few knew was that a ghost is not bound to their place of death in Purgatory. While in this plane, they could go wherever they pleased. Still, they remained where they died to haunt any newcomers. Why? Well, the fog of course! Purgatory is a plane that cushions the edges of two worlds, not even big enough to be it's own realm. Being that Purgatory is nothing more than a barrier, it absorbs the… energy? Power?... of our world and the Ether which creates a dense fog almost impossible to see through if one didn't have the crystal clear vision I was gifted.

Well, there's also the lost souls that have been isolated so long that they became mindless beasts that roam the plane and hunt unsuspecting astral projectors and ghosts… but they don't bother me.

They know better.

I simple spell on my boots rendered me completely silent and undetectable to any that might be listening. I was just on the inside of Purgatory, close enough to be audible. Walking further into Purgatory risked alerting Draven of my presence which he would take as an invitation. Only two things happened in this plane and I didn't have time for either. I roamed the edge of the room, peering down the seemingly endless aisles in search of Sirius, Voldemort, or any Death Eaters stupid enough to enter the Ministry in their ghastly garb. Then again, maybe we could use this opportunity to show up Fudge and prove to the world that Voldemort was back.

Remembering Harry's description of his dream, I honed in on aisle 97. Something about this just wasn't right. Out of all the rooms in the Ministry why this one? Why the Hall of Prophecy? It was on the ninth level, supposedly guarded better than Gringotts vault (obviously not if a band of six teenagers can get in unscathed). Voldemort may be a psychopathic git, but he isn't stupid (but I could argue that statement with a list of things the bastard had done wrong). He must know that the Order of Phoenix knew he had returned and were keeping an eye on his followers. Remaining in the shadows only benefitted him for the time being. Why would he risk exposure and widespread panic of his return to come here?

I peered between the shelves, looking for a sign of life, when I saw a paper tag with Harry's name written beneath Trelawney's. It was tied around a simple stand holding an orb only as big as Harry's fist. Blue-gray smoke swirled inside the ball and glowed a little brighter than the others on the shelf. Well… not as bright as the one just ten orbs over and one shelf up. I glanced down at the somewhat faded writing and was absolutely shocked to see my name beneath someone named Lorelei Rupert. Though my name was surprising enough to see in the Hall of Prophecy, it was the date that did me in: November 1, 1981. A mere few hours after Harry had become an orphan.

I reached up and, ever so carefully, grasped the glass ball. The surface was slippery with dust accumulated after sixteen years on a shelf. It was cold to the touch and the light pulsed in recognition of my touch. I was tempted to listen to it, just to hear what what this Lorelei had proclaimed. I was about to when the sound of several footsteps and rather loud whispers, growing louder, pulled me out of my reverie. I stepped out from between the shelves to see my group rushing towards me with Harry checking the aisle numbers. I growled in irritation and dropped my prophecy into my beaded bag. The undetectable extension charm would help hide it along with the tons of books and supplies I kept in the seemingly empty purse. As soon as my so-called friends had their backs to me, I stepped out of Purgatory and hissed at them quietly.

"Are you incapable of following simple instructions? Are you all truly that stupid?" All five students jumped and spun on the heels with their wands out. They relaxed when they saw me. It really brassed me off. "Don't put your wands away, you imbeciles! If I had been Death Eater, I could have killed three of you before the other two noticed! Dammit! Why are you here?! I told you to stay outside and guard the door until I came back!"

Ron shrugged, as if he could care less about putting his or anyone else's life on the line. "We were getting bored and I told Harry you might have been attacked. Besides, I don't know what's got your knickers all up in a twist. It doesn't look like there's anybody here but us."

I felt my eye twitch. I was going to tear into the red haired git when Harry called out for us. Casting one last glare at Ron, I pushed past him to see Harry staring at his prophecy. The orb glowed a little brighter. Harry reached up to take the ball.

Finally, everything clicked into place. Why we were here in the Hall of Prophecy, why I hadn't come across Sirius or any Death Eaters yet… it all came together.

I was right.

This was a trap.

But not to kill Harry or any of his companions. Nope. Harry had been sent here to collect his own prophecy. I had read that the only people who can touch a prophecy in this room is the person who the prophecy is about and the keeper of prophecies. Voldemort must want the prophecy.

The same prophecy that Harry was about to take.

I tried to stop him, but it was too late. As soon as he picked up the innocent crystal ball, we were surrounded. Only four of the Death Eaters weren't dressed in their pitch black cloaks and skull masks, and I recognized three of them. Lucius Malfoy was easy to spot with his white blond hair in a ponytail draped over his left shoulder and his pointed, aristocratic features that looked so much like his son's. The other two I had seen only in newspaper clippings and the Hogwarts yearbooks from years ago. Antonin Dolohov and Bellatrix LeStrange were supposed to be locked away in Azkaban, but it looks like Voldemort truly had freed his most devoted followers. The fourth was a towering mountain of a man with more muscles than anyone needed, yet I did not remember seeing a face like his. If I had, I certainly would have recalled as he was quite the picture of masculinity. Though it didn't matter now. We were caged in with nowhere to go.

We were effectively trapped.

"Bellatrix." I heard Neville's nervous hiss. It was very quiet and the madwoman didn't appear to have heard him. I glanced over to see the fury in his face. Before him stood the woman that had taken his parents from him in the cruelest of manners: they were alive and breathing, but their minds were so warped from torture at her hands that they could not recognize their own son. He was holding his father's wand so tightly his knuckles had turned white. I had yet to reach for my own, though. I needed to get us out of here. We were outnumbered and outgunned. If we fight them it is highly probable that one of us will die in the process.

Lucius' articulate voice filled the air. "You truly are so predictable, Mr. Potter. Embarrassingly so."

"Where's Sirius?" Harry's voice was strong, betraying none of the fear he felt at the moment. I silently commended him.

Lord Malfoy's voice took on a condescending tone. Well, more condescending than usual. "Such a fool, Harry. That bloodtraiter isn't here. You only saw what The Dark Lord wanted you to see. Now, if you would be so kind as to hand over that prophecy, we'll be on our way."

The hand holding said prophecy fell to Harry's side as he favored his wand arm. "Why? Why did he send me here? Is Voldemort too cowardly to get it himself?"

"You dare speak his name?" Bellatrix snarled venomously. "You filthy halfblood!"

Everyone had their wands out. Knowing Harry, the situation would get far out of hand and someone would get hurt. I had to do something. Anything.

Even of it means giving up my own prophecy.

A plan formed in my head. It had it's flaws, but it's the best I can do on such short notice. If only Harry hadn't picked up that blasted ball!

I darted forward, and ripped the orb from Harry's hand. Using him as a shield, I dove into my bag, switching out the prophecies before anyone could notice and stood protectively in front of Harry. I held the orb in one hand right on front of my chest, the other held my vine wood wand. "Move and I drop it."

Bellatrix cackled madly. "Filthy little mudblood knows how to play!"

"Hermione! What are you doing?!" Harry tried to take my prophecy, but I kept it out of reach. I turned my head to look Harry in the eye, begging with my gaze for him to trust in me. My plan would work. It had to work.

I shot a dark grin at the dark witch. "Bellatrix LeStrange, what an unpleasant surprise. You know, I've read the most interesting things about you. Tell me, how did Moldy Shorts react to finding out your baby makers don't work?"

Bellatrix's mad smile disappeared, replaced with a rage so potent red sparks flew out of her wand. "YOU FILTHY MUDBLOOD! I'LL KI…"

Lucius smacked her wand arm down. "Now now, let's all… calm… down." Lucius eyed the hand holding the prophecy. "Miss Granger, my son has told me so much about you and I have heard nothing but good things from those in the Department of Magical Education. They say you are the brightest witch to ever grace the halls of Hogwarts, breaking several academic records and even being allowed use of a Time Turner in your third year. Rather impressive for someone of your… unfortunate upbringing."

"What can I say?" My eyes narrowed. "Knowledge is power."

Lucius bowed his head ever so slightly. "Spoken like a Ravenclaw."

I smirked in reply, "Yet oddly enough, that is not the House I was almost placed into at my Sorting ceremony."

His eyes widened a fraction before he replaced his shock with un uncaring mask. "You seem like a practical young woman. It's said if it weren't for you, The Boy Who Lived would be dead. Hand over the prophecy and no one will get hurt."

He was playing right into my plan. Perfect. "Give me your word and I will."

My friends burst into angry chatter. I shushed them and pushed Harry off of me.

"Hermione! Don't…!"

I looked back at Harry again. "This prophecy isn't worth our lives, Harry. Besides, you know how I feel about divination, especially the fraud that made this so called prophecy. Anyone who puts their faith in one deserves to die in a thousand ways, none of them swift or pleasant." I turned back to Lucius. "Swear a Magical Oath that none of you or your… companions will harm a single one of us Hogwarts students before we return to school. Once my friends and I are safe within the castle, the Oath will be fulfilled and it's punishments void."

Lucius' shoulders drooped and a small smile of relief graced his lips. Perhaps he was happy that he would not have to endure whatever punishment Moldy Shorts had in mind if they returned without the prophecy. Boy, won't he be surprised when he hears it! "That sounds reasonable. Doesn't it, Bella?"

The witch in question was seething with righteous fury. Her jaw was clenched so tightly I don't think she could answer. This was a problem. If I made Lucius swear on his life, I had no doubt that Bellatrix would gladly throw it away to injure just one of us. I hated punishing the innocent, but I had to make certain we got out of here alive.

Lucius lifted his wand. "I, Lucius Malfoy, do solemnly swear on my…"

"Do not swear on your life, Lord Malfoy." I cut him off. "I want you to swear on the fertility of the Sacred Twenty-Eight!"

Every last Death Eater tensed in shock. Lucius' cane clattered to the floor. Even the pureblood in my group choked at my demand. Ron was the most vocal. "What the hell, 'Mione?! Me an' Ginny are part of the Sacred Twenty-Eight!"

"So am I." Neville added.

Ginny's voice was a little higher than usual and yet she still managed to sound angry and betrayed. "'Mione, I would like to have children one day. How do you know they won't kill us soon as you hand over the prophecy?!"

I kept my gaze on the unmasked blond. "They won't. These incestuous bastards desire little pureblooded children to continue their legacy. If Lucius or any of his comrades break his vow, then Draco and his peers will be the last of the pureblood lines. And they know that infertility brought on by a broken promise has no cure."

Lucius swallowed, his adam's apple bobbing with the movement, and lift his wand once more. "I, Lucius Malfoy, swear on the fertility of the Sacred Twenty-Eight that I and my fellow Death Eaters will leave Hermione Granger and her friends unharmed until they have reached the safety of Hogwarts once I am given the prophecy Miss Granger holds. This I so solemnly swear." His wand glowed a vivid red, as if to punctuate the seriousness of his oath, and cast an eery light on our groups. My chest tightened and there was a heavy pressure on my forehead. I had the sudden feeling that something had clicked into place. The die had been cast and now I could do nothing to stop what was to come. I wondered if I had made the right decision, trading off my prophecy for Harry's, but I caught that thought off immediately. This is the right thing to do. If Voldemort had gone through such lengths for a crystal ball then it must be important. I can't let him get ahold of Harry's prophecy. I just hoped that old Moldy Voldy destroyed this orb as soon as he realized that it wasn't the right one. "There; I have made a magical oath. Now… hand over the prophecy."

I nodded and slowly, appearing reluctant, held out the ball for him to take. My friends were shouting their fury at the gall I had to hand over the blasted ball. As soon as Lucius plucked the sphere from my grasp, I turned on my peers. "Maybe if you all I had listened to me and stayed outside the fucking doors, we wouldn't be in this position!"

They only glared back at me, betrayal clear in their eyes.

"You have what you came here for, Lord Malfoy, and now I think it's time we take our leave. We wouldn't to get caught by security."

"I couldn't agree more." Lucius cupped the orb gently in his hand and silently called his snake-headed cane from the ground. "You made a very wise decision today, Miss Granger. Until we meet again."

With that, Lucius took Bellatrix by the arm and apparated out. The rest were quick to follow. I waited a few more seconds, searching for any possible threats, and started for the exit. Harry and the others raced after me, screaming obscenities. All except Luna that is as she was doing her best to quiet her friends down. On our way out of the Department of Mysteries, we were accosted by a team of Order Members. Probably here to save us. Even Dumbledore was here, his eyes twinkling if looking a little confused.

"Sirius!" Harry ran forward, his rage at me forgotten for the moment, as he embraced his godfather. Sirius was quick to return the hug. Other members of the Order fanned out and started checking the rest of us. Shacklebolt checked me over, waving his wand over me and casting diagnostic spells.

"Harry! I'm glad we got here in time! How are your friends? Are they alright?"

Harry's anger returned full force. "We're fine no thanks to 'Mione! She handed over the prophecy to Malfoy!"

Luna stiffened, not that anyone noticed. We had spent enough time together that she could anticipate what truly set me off. Hell, she could detect my triggers before she made that contract with Madam Butterfly.

Alastor Moody, Sirius, and Remus all nearly broke their necks turning to look at me. "You did WHAT?!"

"All this effort ta keep it from that maniac and you go an' hand it to him?!"

"What were you thinking, kitten?!"

"I am very disappointed in you, Miss Granger." I hadn't even noticed the old man was there. His voice was unnatural, condescending and monotone where it was always jovial and light. The ever present twinkle in his sky blue eyes were non-existent.

My temper had risen to astronomical proportions with each and every word against me. What really tipped me over was Ronald's look of smug satisfaction. As if he were happy that I was getting dressed down and humiliated.

And like that, I was done.

"Well, I suppose that would be a problem." I reached into my beaded bag and silently called for the prophecy. It flew up into my palm from the depths of the purse and I held it out for all to see. "If I had given them the right one."

The surprise on everyone's faces was almost comical. I would laugh if these assholes hadn't just insulted me. Harry was eying the glowing orb in astonishment. "I_I don't believe it! You actually gave Malfoy the wrong one?"

I tossed it at the boy, uncaring if he caught it or not. To be honest, it would probably be best if I were to smash the bloody glass to smithereens. "I wasn't going to let those jerks get their hands on this."

Sirius began to cackle. "Merlin's balls! That's genius! I wish I could see that git's face when he realizes his pureblooded prats have been duped!"

Moody grunted and patted my shoulder. "Good job thinking on your toes like that. We've gone through a lot of trouble to keep that prophecy from falling into the Dark Lord's hands. Would've been a shame to waste it all because of a group of hormone riddled teenagers sticking their noses where they don't belong."

Ron's face was an unhealthy shade of red that clashed with his hair. His rage was nothing compared to mine. I jerked away from Moody's hand and shot everyone my hottest glare. "Oh! Now that you all have the prophesy insight, everything is okay? Now that I've revealed my 'bait and switch', I'm no longer some loathed, backstabbing swot? Don't any of you realize how I was even able to do that? What I had to give up?!"

The lack of reply, the stunned silence, was deafening.

Fucking morons! "By the fucking gods, are you all really that thick?! Okay, let's go through the last half hour, shall we? Why couldn't old Moldy come retrieve the prophecy himself instead of tricking some airheaded fifth year to get it for him? Don't think too hard, though! Wouldn't want you to hurt yourselves."

Harry, along with the rest of our group save Luna, looked completely stupefied. Remus answered for them. "As soon as a prophecy is made, only the Seer who made it and the person it's about can touch it, excluding the keeper of prophecies. Anyone not of those three who touch it lose their minds. You Know Who sent you here, Harry, so that you could fetch it for him. Once a prophecy leaves the shelf, the protections on it are void and anyone can take it."

"If that's true how did Hermione trade Harry's for…." Neville's voice trailed off. It was deeper now, no longer cracking with puberty. He was becoming a man. And from the way his previously chubby figure was slimming, he'd make quite a fetching picture.

Luna stood proudly by my side. "She had to give up her own prophecy."

Ron looked like he was about to have a litter of kittens. Everyone else was dumbstruck and stuttering like idiots.

Harry actually appeared to be regretful. "'Mione, why would you do that? Did you get a chance to hear it?"

My temper flared hotly when it was only starting to cool. "No, Harry! I did _not_ get to listen to it. You see, I had to deal with a bunch of disobedient dunderheads and then I had to get them all out of trouble!"

Potter knew I was reaching my snapping point and pointed at his best friend. As if that would make me less angry. "Ron said you might have been injured and suggested we go in after you. He was only trying help!"

I snorted at the thought of Ron wanting to help me. "No, Ron was being an impatient attention-whore. I told you all to stay outside and guard the door. If you had just followed my fucking orders, none of this would have happened! In fact, all of this could have been avoided if you would've just listened to me!"

Harry jumped back in fright. I've shouted before, I've been furious before, but never at Harry. He probably didn't think much of it until I turned it on him. "Hermione…"

"No!" I stormed towards him, taking pleasure in the way he backed away until a stone wall stopped him. I damn near stabbed him in the chest with my finger once I was close enough. "My prophecy is gone, Potter! I have no idea what it said or what it proclaims I'll do in the future! Not only did I _not_ get to listen to it, but now it's in the hands of a man who would see me dead before he handed it back over! And he has delivered it to tall, dark, and Moldy by now! The best case scenario is that he'll destroy it the second he discovers he's been duped! But I know for a fucking fact that those bastards, being the devious Slytherins they are, will lord that information over me! For all we know, my prophecy could be linked to yours! Hecate knows I've been protecting your backside long enough to have a bloody Seer cash in on it!

"You wanna know the worst part about all of this, Potter?! The worst part is that it all could have been avoided! The Death Eaters, the prophecies, the whole damn fucking Ministry! All you had to do was listen to me!" I was getting hysterical at this point. Tears had gathered in my eyes at this point and I was loathe to let them show. I had pushed so much of myself, my life, aside so that I could watch over Harry. To know just how little it meant to the boy himself… it was heartbreaking. "After all we've been through, all those times you admitted I was right after we managed to escape hell with only minor injuries, one would think even someone as dimwitted as you would have learned to stop and heed my warnings! I can take the blatant favoritism you show towards Ron, it's not like I know what it's like to have a peer who stands by my side _no matter what_ , but the fucking Weasel has proven time and time again that he is ruled by his stomach and his fists as he doesn't have two braincells to rub together! He is a lazy, crude, spiteful little boy that looks down upon anyone who doesn't fit his worldly standards and is very vocal about his dislike of them! He's even torn into me with little to no reason and every single, blasted time, every last one, you side with the git!

"Am I not good enough for you, Harry? Does my friendship hold less worth than Ron's in your eyes? Would I need to grow a set of testicles and develop an obsession for Quidditch for you to pay attention if only once?!"

The whites of the boy's eyes flashed in fear. "I_ I…"

"Do you enjoy pushing me to the breaking point?! From the moment I covered for you the day you locked me in a bathroom with that troll, I always had your back. From that night onward, I was always by your side even when everyone else had turned their back on you! Even when it put me on society's shit list, I defended you! I tutor you, I help you, hell, I even do half your fucking homework when you want to go off and play Quidditch with your other friends! I have put my life and academics in danger so that I could protect you, and you continue to show little to no appreciation for all I've done, all I _do_ , to keep you safe!" I took a deep breath. "And now… and now you will find out just how much I've been doing for you… through my absence! From now on, until you apologize and promise to cease taking me for granted, you're on your OWN!"

I turned on my heel and stormed away, abandoning the Ministry as quickly as I could. Harry was with Sirius and Dumbledore. He was plenty safe. Besides, I'm far too angry and bitter to be of any help. One more word from any of those pompous prats and I would find out just how much damage my Wicked Weaves(1) did to living people. Even overcome by my rage, I knew from the practice dummies that I could dole out a devastating amount of damage.

I met no obstacles, as the building was still empty, and found myself back on the streets of London in no time. The Thestrals we had used to get here were snuffling through a rubbish bin in an alley across the street, but I had no intention of riding one back to school. I much preferred my way.

I stepped into Purgatory and whistled. A second passed in silence before I heard a howl in return. Out of foggy streets came a giant beast. Truth be told, it was not one beast, but three; Tehrror, Ahgony, and Payne. Unlike the chimera, Rehvenge (what I've taken to calling him rather than all three names simply to save time) is a true demon. He was a collection dogs once owned by a brutal, bloodthirsty king now long dead. The king tortured the dogs on a regular basis, starving and enraging them before setting them on whichever poor soul that had earned the king's ire. The day come when the kingdom revolted and stormed the castle, killing the king, his lords, and his misunderstood dogs. I suppose the poor things were dragged to hell with their owner. Draven's theory was that the three dogs stuck together in hell for so long that they eventually began to merge into one, mean, scary-looking monster to better survive the harshest of harsh environments.

What they suffered in life they now deal out to anyone they find unworthy of life. And whoever Draven and I point out.

Rehvenge stopped twelve feet from me and laid down. Even when he was crouching I still had to look up to peer into one the six eyes on his main head. The other two heads, Payne and Ahgony, acted as front paws. All three mouths had long fangs, fangs resembling tusks they were so large, and drooled molton saliva so hot it would melt the flesh clear of the bone and then melt the bone.

There are very few who can withstand his heated bite, and almost all of them were demons.

I climbed up his head and situated myself on his neck. A gentle nudge from my foot had him up and running towards Scotland. The blurring scenery was lost to the fog of Purgatory as we delved deeper into the realm. Faster that way.

My plan to return to school unhindered went out the window as my presence had attracted the attention of my Master.

A hot gust of breath against the nape of my neck was the only sign of Draven's arrival. "Come for a little de-stressing, Cara Mia?" I twisted my body to shot him a glare. I got and amused smirk in return, which only managed to darken my mood. "A lot of de-stressing, then?"

I turned my back on him. "I'm not in the mood, Draven. I just want to reach Hogwarts safely and sleep for a week."

He flipped over my head and landed in the lotus position on the crown of Rehvenge's head. He planted his elbows on either knee and cupped his face between my head. His eyes, more gold today than green, were soft. "And what has my little princess on edge? Rescue mission didn't go as planned?"

I huffed indignantly. "That's insinuating that there was a plan at all. Harry dives headfirst into trouble without a care of what will happen to him. He almost used his brain tonight, but Ron was there to encourage mindless behavior and everything damn near went to hell! Bloody prat. I'd like nothing more than to feed him to Wrhath."

Draven wore that smugly amused smirk of his that irritated me so. It reminded me so much of Professor Snape when he caught someone in a lie or breaking the rules; especially if it was Harry. "It sounds like something happened. Something that was particularly hurtful. I know you to be very forgiving to those you care for and surprisingly thick-skinned, probably from all the bullying you endured as a child. Few things truly hurt you, but those that do hit you incredibly hard. So… what has the Boy Wonder done that has put you in such a defensive mood?"

I hunched over and bowed my head, allowing my dark hair to shield me from Draven's observation. The bloody Demon had a way of finding things out about me, even the things I tried so hard to hide.

"You saved the day once again with nary a nod from the very people who claim to be your friends." His voice was gentle, which was out of place atop a fiery beast running at a neck breaking speed. "No doubt you concocted some plan, the best you could do on such short notice, only for your so-called friends to ignore it thereby placing you and themselves in danger."

Sometimes, I think he's lying when he says he doesn't watch me. He knows too much for it to be mere educated guesses.

"You have confronted Death Eaters, one that even we find particularly nasty was present." His smile grew malevolent. "Her soul is worth much back home."

Meaning if I were to collect and sell her soul to him, I would get another relic or a weapon forged from the soul. I usually shied away from just the thought of handing someone's eternal soul to a Demon, but I know for a fact that Bellatrix deserved the worst they could do and more.

"And you had to give them something. Something very important…" His eyes closed and he pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumbs. "Oh, Sylvia, you didn't."

Of course he knew. "It's not like it means anything! A prophecy is just a proclamation about a _possible_ future if certain criteria are met."

"A prophecy is a glimpse of an event time that is set in stone. The strength and power of Seer will determine the amount of the future seen, the period of time. Trelawny isn't the strongest Seer of her generation. In fact, she is one of the weakest of the official Seers in all of history. She only saw the… how do I put this?... She saw the fork in the road pertaining to Potter's prophecy. It is set in stone, Riddle's actions have seen to that, but the war's finale can go either way.

" _Your_ prophecy was made centuries ago and has been updated since then. The first one was vague, a future declaring that a witch would overthrow the magical bloodlines with demonic power. That's why the Ministry of Magic made it illegal to summon demons. Another prophecy was made around 15 years ago adding on to that prophecy and clarifying the subject of the revolution. From what I understand, you weren't mentioned by name, but it dropped a few hints. Thankfully, the self proclaimed purebloods don't bother studying non-magical mythology. If they did, you would have been… escorted to the Ministry and brainwashed into obedience or outright killed."

Unfortunately, Draven was right. The Ministry of Magic was made up of bigoted, incestuous morons who shouldn't be left in charge of a birthday party much less an entire magical community.

Draven stood up and clicked his tongue. Rehvenge slowed until he could safely stop. The beast panted happily after his little jaunt through Purgatory. "We need to find it. I need to see if Riddle and his followers will take it seriously. If they do, we need to be prepared for the worst. You are the one proclaimed to change the magical world forever."

"And if he doesn't?"

Draven whistled a jaunty tune through his teeth. Rehvenge got up and turned to the left and started sprinting again. "The goal here is to get your prophecy back without him hearing it at all. If we are too late, we'll grab it and hope none of them took notes. From what I remember from hearing it the first time, the wording is a little tricky, but the subject is plainly obvious once one can figure out the riddles."

I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest. I knew I was pouting, but the last thing I wanted to do after the shitfest of a so-called rescue mission, I desired nothing more than a long night's sleep. "Fine, I'll help you. But only because I'm somewhat curious as to what the prophecy proclaims. It's not like I place any stock in them."

Draven only smiled wickedly in return. And it had begun to sink in.

I was about to brave the snake nest with only my wits and a demon whose thoughts are always occupied by the wonders of sex. All for a crystal orb.

Oh well. I've had worse nights.


	2. Happy Birthday to Me :3

Alrighty, ladies and gents. The time has come for me to announce the winner of the poll. And for me to come to terms with the fact that I'm one year older. It's a bitter pill to swallow.

So now, without further ado, I give you the winner of the story poll.

Drumroll, please.

Da

Da

Da

Da

Da

Da

Da

Da

Da

Da

Da

Da

Da

Da

Da

Da

Da

Da

Da

Da

Da

Da

Da

Da

Da

Da

Da

Da

Da

Da

Da

Da

Da

Da

Da

Da

Da

Da

Da

Da

Da

Da

Da

Da

Da

Da

Da

Da

Da

Da

Da

Da

Da

Da

Da

Da

...

 **The Meaning of Family with an astounding 104 votes!** Wow!

However, since I really don't want to leave my HP fans hanging, i've decided to continue the holder of second place, **Draconic Motherhood** , as well: with 52 votes. Only 2 more than _Gift of the Dragon God_.

Thank you to everyone who voted. It really warms my heart to know that so many people enjoy my silly little fanfictions. I know you all have high expectations for me and every chapter I post and I only hope I can live up to them. I know it's impossible to please everyone, but I can damn well try.

Thanks again for voting.

-SPN :3


End file.
